RIP: Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine

[thewayne]

J&J requested the FDA to withdraw the vaccine's authorization for use in the USA after the last stockpiled supplies expired about a month ago, and the FDA did so.

J&J had no plans to reformulate the vaccine for new strains. They suffered tremendous loss of market share and public confidence after a kerfuffle over a clotting disorder with a similar vaccine led to a huge plunge in demand for their vaccine.

I personally am quite glad for the reformulated vaccines. Now, I am an edge-case: I have an immune disorder and don't produce antibodies, so vaccines are sometimes weird on me. On every Covid vaccination that I received, I ran a low-grade fever for a couple of days afterwards. But my last shot was the new bi-valent, and it was smooth sailing - no fever! I don't know if it was because it was formulated against multiple strains, or something had been done to smooth it out or what, but it was a much nicer ride for me.

https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/06/j-fda-revokes-authorization/

Comments

[thewayne]

That's too bad about Shingrex, I got that a few years back.  I'm about due for pneumonia and TDAP re-ups.  It's probably too soon for me to get an RSV shot, we'll probably have to wait a couple of years to see how it plays out in immune-compromised people like me.

[acelightning73]

THere was a commercial a few years ago for a Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, pitching it to older adults - "so grandma doesn't give the baby a serious disease". I'm surprised they're not using that pitch for RSV. I don't think I need that one. Although the Canadian smoke of the past few days has given me a cough and slightly disturbed my breathing. (I kept looking for someone to shout "Put out that *goddam fucking cigar!*, whoever you are!" at.)

I had the DPT shot as a child, and a tetanus shot once, both the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines, and i caught chicken pox and measles when I was still in primary school. And I've gotten all the COVID vaccines, and I think someone snuck in a flu shot once.

[thewayne]

My wife and I have always been avid flu shot advocates: the one year she wasn't able to get it because of a shortage, she got sick quite seriously.  We're both immune-compromised now, she because of chemotherapy.  I think I only got one polio vax, couldn't tell you which one.  Had measles TWICE apparently, which should have been a big red flag that I had a weak immune system as a kid.

[acelightning73]

My husband keeps telling me I have a very strong immune system. I don't catch things much. Now, I've had congestive heart failure, kidney disease, uterine and breast cancer, and a whole lot of other medical misadventures. But I almost never get the flu, although I got one of the really serious ones in college - either "Asian" or "Hong Kong" flu, and they had to close the college for a few weeks (and re-schedule finals).

It's not beause of healthful living. I was chubby for most of my life, I ate meat and fried foods and desserts, and my father smoked in the house. I never exercised at all, and I experimented with various forms of "weirder living through chemistry". I worked around 50KW radio transmitters. I did manage to avoid "risky sexual behaviors", largely through having very simple tastes.

Good luck, and persistence, since I made it to 75 last December.

[thewayne]

Going to be hard to say how long I'll make it.  My mom made 90, her mom and brother made it to 94-96.  My dad almost made 89.  So I've got some good long genes there.  But they say that my immune disorder will take 20 years off my life.  I'll be 62 at the end of the year, don't know if I should plan for another decade or so or another three! I will make it until I don't, about all that anyone can do.

[acelightning73]

My father made it to just shy of his 90th. His grandfather (my great-grandfather) made it to 96. My mom's side had more ordinary lifespans.

I've got to live to have my 100th birthday party - I've invited just about everyone I know. I won't be having it in orbit, or in Luna City, but New York is a good place for a party.